4our4 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 We are three families that are planning on starting a co-op next fall. This is our first year homeschooling and we've never been in a co-op before. We are thinking of doing history, presentation skills, and science together, but are open to other topics as well or instead. Does anyone have any advice in starting a co-op? What makes a group successfull? or not so much? I would appreciate any help you can offer - we don't know where to start! :) Thanks so much! Vivian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2att Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 When I was organizing our co-op to grow from small to big, this book was very helpful (info for co-ops of all sizes included): http://homeschoolcpa.com/bookstore/homeschool-co-ops/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldskool Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spetzi Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 (edited) Congratulations, how fun! I look to a co-op to offer things that I might not be able to at home. Public speaking would be one of those things, so are plays, complex science stuff, group competition, etc. I would keep these things in mind as I plan. It's difficult to do more academic classes, such as math or even foreign language, in a co-op that only meets once/week. You might want some clear expectations of the parents and students written down. Think about the negatives for a moment. What do do when a teacher (or student) is repeatedly unprepared, what to do if a student gets physical w/another, will there be homework, etc. A moment of thought and agreement now might save you a headache later. You might want to discuss a vision. Do you want to support everyone? Mostly new homeschoolers? Under 10 yrs old? Is there a religious affiliation? Homeschooling philosophy? How large do you want to get? Be careful not to grow too fast. How will you determine who gets in? Many co-ops have wait lists. Sometimes when folks get in they find it's not what they want or it's just not a good fit. I don't mean to overwhelm you with questions. I think it's helpful if at least the 3 moms agree on a plan so you can present that to prospective members. I have absolutely LOVED both of the co-ops I have been involved in and think they are a fantastic opportunity for both student and parent/teacher. Enjoy! Edited February 24, 2011 by Spetzi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Limit it to just the three families to start with (or forever, which I have come to think is a better plan!) Make sure that you have similar homeschool styles and expectations. Decide ahead of time your expectations for behavior, homework, flexibility, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4our4 Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 Thanks for the great input. I think it's a great idea about being specific about our goals and expectations. Has anyone found that some subjects or programs work better for a co-op setting than others? We were thinking of doing history projects, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 (edited) We are three families that are planning on starting a co-op next fall. This is our first year homeschooling and we've never been in a co-op before. We are thinking of doing history, presentation skills, and science together, but are open to other topics as well or instead. Does anyone have any advice in starting a co-op? What makes a group successfull? or not so much? I would appreciate any help you can offer - we don't know where to start! :) Thanks so much! Vivian Congratulations! Clearly defining the group's purpose, membership guidelines, goals/objectives is a good starting point. You will need to consider if the group is to be "inclusive", open to all homeschoolers regardless of religious, political or educational philosophy. Or if the group is "exclusvie", only open to homeschoolers who share a particular religious, political and educational philosophy. I went through this recently with the group I facilitate. Look for my thread titled "How to start your own homeschooling support group 101." Edited February 24, 2011 by kalphs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 :party::party: Here are the happy dancers to help you celebrate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_JWM Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Three other families and I started a co-op two years ago. We originally hoped to have 10 families within a year; we now have 60! It has been a crazy ride with a lot more work than I ever imagined, but it has been absolutely wonderful. If you're interested, here's a link to our website: http://www.hlacny.com/ You can see the classes we offer for the current session. We have five six-week sessions each year, for a total of 30 class days of three periods each. We've found that thoughtful growth is much better than insane growth, spelling out policies helps everyone, and that allowing others to share the burdens is key to our sanity! Any questions, feel free to PM me! Have fun!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Three other families and I started a co-op two years ago. We originally hoped to have 10 families within a year; we now have 60! It has been a crazy ride with a lot more work than I ever imagined, but it has been absolutely wonderful. If you're interested, here's a link to our website: http://www.hlacny.com/ You can see the classes we offer for the current session. We have five six-week sessions each year, for a total of 30 class days of three periods each. We've found that thoughtful growth is much better than insane growth, spelling out policies helps everyone, and that allowing others to share the burdens is key to our sanity! Any questions, feel free to PM me! Have fun!!! I love the layout of your group and the website! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 We've found that thoughtful growth is much better than insane growth, spelling out policies helps everyone, and that allowing others to share the burdens is key to our sanity! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 When I was organizing our co-op to grow from small to big, this book was very helpful (info for co-ops of all sizes included): http://homeschoolcpa.com/bookstore/homeschool-co-ops/ Thank you for sharing! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4our4 Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 Great website - it looks like your co-op is now wildly successful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Thanks for the great input. I think it's a great idea about being specific about our goals and expectations. Has anyone found that some subjects or programs work better for a co-op setting than others? We were thinking of doing history projects, too. You might want to consider if you want the coop to be totally supplemental to lessons at home, to integrate and be based on lessons at home, or to be self contained at the coop (in other words, will the students have homework or do everything at coop). What age levels will be in different groups? What if a family wants to place someone younger or older into a group? What about younger siblings? If you do multiple sessions, do families need to participate in the whole thing or can they pick and choose parts. I don't think that there is a magical formula for a good coop. I think that being very clear in expectations can allow parents to determine up front if it is a good match for their goals. Here is the site for one that I'm considering for next year. I thought that the application presented things in an upfront way. Some families might not be able to agree to parts, but at least they know what expectations are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4our4 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 Great things to think about! Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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